The fear of man brings a snare,
But he who trusts in the Lord will be exalted.
Proverbs 29:25 NASB
I hate fear. Fear makes you stupid and calloused. Fear moves through your mind and body, sparking either numbness or frenzy. And if you live with fear for too long, lots and lots of fear that never really goes away, then sooner or later something snaps. Fear is debilitating and highly contagious, and until we fear God alone, we are susceptible.
Manifesting Fear
In the last few months, I’ve witnessed several frenzied and hysterical responses by believers to world developments. In each case, I became furious. That’s a big red flag that fear-fleas are jumping around the room and I’ve just been bitten. Fear makes me angry, that’s how it manifests in me. Some people get loud, some get tearful, some get bombastic and some get hyper. Me? I mostly get “Hulk smash!”
When I came to the Lord, I was riddled with fear. In some areas of my life, I was basically catatonic with it. I loathe fear because I am well acquainted with its life-leeching poison. It is such a deadly sin! And the Lord is bringing to light new depths of fear that I am still tied to and imprisoned by. I get the feeling lately that I’m not the only one being squeezed until I’m a raw nerve, incapable of covering up anything or pushing it to the back burner of my mind. The Holy Spirit is moving to expose my raw heart and clean out some deep-rooted darkness, and He has good reason.
Look around you when you’re out and about. Spend a few minutes reading a paper or watching the news. All over the world, fear is pulsing and churning and spreading more effectively than any virus ever could. People are made stupid by it. Lies are piggybacking on it, whispering to every ear that nothing can bear up under fear’s never-ending onslaught. By every measure that humanity’s cognition can discern, this tide has well and truly turned and there’s no swimming against it.
But our minds – the mind of the believer – are renewed. We are not subject to humanity’s reason or calculations. I rejoice that I am being stripped and broken down and cleansed and freed. I am uncomfortable and grieved and frustrated and heartbroken—and I welcome it all! I am asking the Lord to do all that He must to close every door I have open to fear. I want every obstacle that stands between me and the miraculous rest of Jesus Christ Himself torn down. When all the world spins out, I want to be anchored in our Anchor, totally immune to the whirlwind of fear. Don’t you?
The fear of the Lord leads to life,
And he who has it will abide in satisfaction;
He will not be visited with evil.
Proverbs 19:23 NKJV
Once again, thank you Jennifer for expressing what is in me. What hope we have in our Lord, that He will root out every fear, sin, darkness. Thank You, Lord
Yes, Jennifer. “You will be afflicted in the world, but now rest because I have defeated the world”. You made me remember the other day when the Lord told me why He calls the world the world. He talks of it in terms of an uniform thing, all the same. The world has no personality in itself. It is dull, always the same repetitive wheel of darkness, sin and fear. The “world” is one single thing. He reduces it “one single thing”. It is not “multitude”, like He has to attend it here, and here, and there. In the Kingdom… Read more »
Halleluja!
xxx
¨Enter my rest, rejoice in weakness, live by my richness¨ Has been His latest invitation and I keep getting exhausted of trying it out. You lightens me to day on how to pray and exposes fear… doors, how many? Just yesterday a dear christian friend called me to listen this message on judgement and crisis, I could no bear it five minutes. I was reminded of the message at ¨The Coming One¨ conference and decided again to fix my eyes on ¨This Coming ONE¨, and I joint your words: ¨I rejoice that I am being stripped and broken down and… Read more »
Jennifer, thank you. I love the “Hulk smash” line. I see Jesus saying of your fear and I hope mine, “Holy Spirit smash!”
Jennifer I too want every door closed and obstacle removed. I am saying “YES” do whatever you must do so that I can be totally immune to fear and fully living in You.
When you live a life of abandoned love, Surrendered before the awe of God, Here’s what you’ll experience: Abundant life! Continual protection! And complete satisfaction!
Proverbs 19:23. Passion Translation
Amen Jennifer! I finially had to just shut it all down so I could keep my focus on Him and stay in His rest. Fear comes in like a whirlwind sweeping up all that is ‘not anchored’. And come what may, we are His!